


Spring Festival

by waddiwasiwitch



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-04
Updated: 2018-04-04
Packaged: 2019-04-18 11:44:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 940
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14212434
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/waddiwasiwitch/pseuds/waddiwasiwitch





	Spring Festival

Spring had come to the East at last. Leaves were growing on the trees again, baby lambs would soon be in the fields and the flowers were beginning to bloom. March also meant the village festival. Roy had never been to the festival in the two years he had been studying under Master Hawkeye. This year, Master Hawkeye was sequestered in his office deep in research. Roy figured it was as good a time as he was going to get to go to the festival.

Roy put down the notebook he was scribbling in and put his pen over his ear. His master’s homework was getting increasingly difficult. His brain was feeling foggy, he needed a distraction. Smiling, he turned to Riza, who was reading a book at the edge of the river, her feet paddling in the water.

“Riza?”

She turned towards him.

“I was thinking.” He crawled along the ground towards her.

“Always dangerous,” she replied as he sat down beside her.

He stuck out his tongue and mock-glared at her.

She giggled and his heart leapt in his chest. For a moment, he completely forgot himself.

“Well, what were you saying?” Riza pressed.

“Oh - sorry. Yeah- Uh I think we should go to the Spring Festival tomorrow.”

“Roy, I don’t think that’s a good idea. Father wouldn’t like it.”

“He doesn’t have to know. I mean he’s locked up all-day. If we go in the evening, he’ll just think we went to bed.”

“Um-”

“Come on, it’ll be fun.” He gave her best impression of a puppy dog. “Please!”

Her shoulders dropped and she let out a sigh. “Fine, but if we get caught-”

“We can say you went after me to bring me back.”

Riza made sure her father had eaten before they snuck out. She put on her best dress and met Roy in the porch. His mouth dropped open when he saw her. Heat rushed to her cheeks.

He bit at his lip, “If I didn’t know better, I think you were going on a date.”

“What do you want it to be?”

Two splotches of pink appeared on his cheeks. “Uh-”

What was she thinking saying that? She didn’t mean to say it aloud. Stupid mouth.

“Roy, it’s alright. I’m just joshing you.”

“Oh!” He smiled sheepishly. “You look -uh-pretty,”

She dipped her head. “Thanks.”

They walked down the path to the rickety gate.

“I thought we could cycle,” Roy said.

“But my bicycle is broken.”

He shook his head. “It was broken, I fixed it.”

He gestured towards the gate, where the two bikes were waiting. Her saddle looked as good as new and the paint was shiny.

She threw her arms around him. “Thank you!”

He blushed. “You’re welcome.”

She let go of him and smiled. “Roy Mustang, you’re full of surprises.”

The giddy pair jumped on their bikes.

She took off. Looking over her shoulder, she called, “Race you!”

Roy pulled on the brakes and got off his bike. “You cheated!”

“You’re just sore because you lost.”

He laughed. “That too.”

It looked like the whole town had turned up to the festival. Roy had never seen the place so full. The dismal town was transformed. It made his heart ache for home and for the hustle and bustle of Central.

Riza squeezed his arm. “You alright?”

But Central didn’t have Riza he reminded himself.

“I’m fine.” He flashed her a genuine smile. “What will we do first?”

She tilted her head and worried at her lower lip. “What do you think?”

She looked really cute when. she bit at her lip. She caught him staring and he quickly looked away.

Seeing the stalls, he said, “Um - would you like some candy floss?”

“I’ve never tried it.”

“You’ll love it!”

The two teenagers made their way to one of the many stalls in the centre of the town. They passed a marquee on the way where couples were dancing.

“Hang on.” Roy held out his hand. “Why don’t we dance first?”

Riza looked down and scuffed her shoes off the ground. “Roy, you know I don’t dance.”

“Come on, Riza, you just haven’t practiced enough. You took to the waltz no problem when I taught you that time.”

Her lip twitched.

“Just one dance, and then I’ll owe you a soda and some candy floss.”

“Alright - just one.”

She took his hand and let him pull her along.

He grinned at her over his shoulder. “And I’ll even win you a teddy bear.”

“Roy, I’d totally beat you at the ring toss, maybe I’ll win a teddy bear for you?”

“That’s perfect, there’s this girl I want to give it to. She’s impossible though, you’d like her.”

The band had paused by the time they reached the marquee. They stepped onto the floor and waited for the music to start up again. Roy studied her face. She looked carefree tonight. Sometimes, he hated his master for the life he had given his daughter. Riza deserved the chance to be whoeever she wanted to be, not her father’s skivvy.

He took her hands in his as the band began to play again. He didn’t recognise the tune, but the locals began to whoop.

“I guess I don’t know this dance,” he admitted. “Want to sit it out?”

“Actually, I do. This time it’s my turn to teach you how to dance.”

She corrected his stance and adjusted his hold on her.

He lifted an eyebrow. “I thought you never came to the festival.”

“I might have snuck away to the festival before.”

“With a boy?”

“No - you’re the only boy.”

Fin


End file.
